It is the collective term for a set of eight deities –– Kubera, Yama, Indra, Agni, Varuna, Isana, Vayu and Nirritti –– who are considered to be the guardians of the eight cardinal directions in Hinduism, Jainism and Vajrayana Buddhism. Images of these deities, placed in their respective directions, can be found across the temple architecture of these religions. The term itself derives from the Sanskrit ashtadikpala, meaning “regents of the eight directions.”